PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of scatter correction on the assessment of myocardial perfusion and left ventricular function by gated Tc-99m myocardial SPECT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were 11 normal volunteers, 20 patients with non-cardiac chest pain and 13 patients with coronary artery diseases. We classified above 3 groups into normal and diseased groups. Scatter correction was done using dual-energy-window scatter correction method (DEW-SC). We compared acquired counts, image contrast, corrected maximum relative counts, indices of left ventricular function, extent and severity of perfusion defects calculated by 'CEqual program' between scatter non-corrected and corrected images. RESULTS: Scatter corrected studies was lower in counts by 18+/-3% than uncorrected studies, but image contrast were improved in all cases. Scatter correction using DEW-SC took 3 minutes to complete, and 512 kB memory to store. There were no significant differences among indices of left ventricular function between scatter non-corrected and corrected images. Although extents of perfusion defects were not significantly different, severity was severer in scatter corrected images. CONCLUSION: Scatter correction using DEW-SC is simple to do, and improves image contrast without changing other indices of myocardial perfusion and function.
Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Memory ; Perfusion* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Ventricular Function, Left*

Nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma is a distinctive mixed mesenchymal lesion of sinonasal region with a complex histologic appearance and benign clinical course and clinicopathologically similar to those of the mesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall of infancy. We report a case of nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma occurred in the right nasal cavity in a 3-month-old female. She was admitted with a history of profuse nasal bleeding and obstruction. CT revealed complex solid and cystic mass, measuring 3.5x2.5x2.5 cm in dimensions which filled the right nasal cavity and extended into ethmoid sinus and cribriform plate. The received piecemeal fragments of tissue were brown tan-colored firm semitranslucent tissue with a cartilaginous appearance. Microscopically, the basic morphologic elements were irregular islands of hyaline cartilage and myxoid to spindle cell stroma with various cellularity.
Epistaxis ; Ethmoid Bone ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Female ; Hamartoma* ; Humans ; Hyaline Cartilage ; Infant ; Islands ; Nasal Cavity ; Thoracic Wall

Cardiac size of 291 new-born infants was measured using the method illustated on Fig 1. Among the 291 infants,53 were asphyxiated, and asphxia was only regared from Apgar score below 6 on 1 min. and 5 min. Remaining 238infants were normal, and classified to group with lung abnormalities and without lung abnormalities on chest A-Pfilm. The results are as follows; 1. The average CTR. of normal group was 52.37(C/T1;54.89, C/T2;49.43, C/T3;49.15, C/T;55.97) 2. The average CTR. of asphxiated group was 54.91 (C/T1;57.13, C/T2;51.69, C/T3;51.94,C/T4;58.25) 3. Consequently, asphyxiated infants revealed larger cardiac size than normal infant group.
Apgar Score ; Heart ; Humans ; Infant ; Lung ; Methods ; Thorax

The purpose of this study was the improvement and modification of the HACCP verification checklist in school foodservices. For this, the HACCP verification checklist was modified on the basis of an existing school foodservice format. The modified checklist was composed of 28 items, including CCPs (critical control points), microbial test, and other components of the HACCP system than CCPs. To confirm the suitability of the modified checklist, comparisons were made based on the microbiological quality of cooked foods, utensils, and number of aerial microbes in the working area. In this study, the applicability of the modified checklist was determined by focusing on cooked squid with seasoned fresh vegetables (Ojingeochaesomoochim). The following results were obtained from 14 schools in Changwon. The checklist scores for maintaining hot foods over 60degrees C or serving within 2 hours, microbial tests of drinking water, food contact surfaces and cooking utensils, monitoring tools, and usage of suitable sanitizers were 2 points each (The possible highest score is 2 points). On the contrary, the checklist score for microbial test of cooked foods was the lowest of all the items. The correlation coefficient (r) between the improved checklist and microbiological quality of cooked foods was 0.699 (P<0.01), whereas that between the improved checklist and microbiological quality of cooking utensils was 0.612 (P<0.05). The correlation coefficient between the improved checklist and aerial plate count in the working area was -0.556 (P<0.05). Our results indicate the potential possibility of using the HACCP verification checklist in school foodservices.
Checklist ; Cooking and Eating Utensils ; Decapodiformes ; Drinking Water ; Humans ; Seasons ; Vegetables

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to detect viral coproantigens in children who were hospitalized with acute diarrhea and to compare its association with clinical symptoms. METHODS: Seventy-four stool samples were collected from children admitted to Ewha Mokdong Hospital from March 1996 to December 1999. The samples were frozen and analyzed for rotavirus, adenovirus, enterovirus, astrovirus, and calicivirus by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with monoclonal antibody. 53 stool samples were collected from patients with diarrhea (diarrheal group) and 21 stool samples from patients hospitalized for reasons other than diarrhea (control group). Clinical features and laboratory findings were reviewed in both groups. RESULTS: Among 74 stool samples, virus antigens were detected in 60 samples. Of the 60 virus-positive stool samples, 47 enterovirus, 26 rotavirus, 16 adenovirus, 11 astrovirus, and 11 calicivirus antigens were detected by EIA. Of the 60 virus-positive stool samples, 28 samples have one viral antigen, 30 samples have 2 or more viral antigens, and 2 samples showed a simultaneous infection of Salmonella group B and enterovirus. There was no relationship between the detected virus and clinical features. CONCLUSION: In this study, viral coproantigen and clinical symptoms were not associated. In the future, further larger scale studies are necessary.
Adenoviridae ; Antigens, Viral* ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized* ; Diarrhea ; Enterovirus ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Rotavirus ; Salmonella

OBJECTIVE: Because endometriosis is difficult to diagnose and has a high recurrence rate after treatment, a reliable serum marker of endometriosis is necessary. Therefore, the aim of this study is to measure the serum levels of CA125 and CA19-9 in patients with endometriosis before and after treatment and during recurrence, and to assess the usefulness of these levels in the diagnosis, clinical follow up and prediction of recurrence in endometriosis. METHODS: Eighty-eight patients who visited the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Ewha Mokdong Hospital from January 1994 to December 1998 and were diagnosed as endometriosis by laparoscopy or explo-laparotomy were enrolled as subjects. A retrospective analysis of serum CA125 and CA19-9 levels at 1 month before and 3 to 6 months after initiation of treatment was done. RESULTS: The serum CA125 and CA19-9 levels of endometriosis group(81.0+/-252.5, 36.6+/-53.4 ; mean+/-2SD, U/ml) before treatment was significantly higher than control group(11.6+/-12.8, 9.4+/-8.6)(p<0.05). Overall sensitivity rate for CA125, CA19-9 levels and both was 53.4%, 42.9% and 64.3% respectively. The sensitivity rate for endometriosis, stage 3 and 4(85.4%, 55.0%) was significantly higher than that, stage 1 and 2(p<0.05). The serum CA125 level in endometriosis group showed a significant increment according to stages(p<0.05) while the serum CA19-9 level showed an increasing trend(p=0.055) and both levels decreased significantly after treatment(p<0.05). The serum CA125 level was also higher at recurrence after treatment(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The serum CA125 and CA19-9 levels are a useful marker for diagnosing severity of disease, monitoring efficacy of treatment and predicting recurrence in endometriosis.
Biomarkers ; Diagnosis ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Obstetrics ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

Paragonimiasis is prevalent in Far East and a kind of endemic Korean disases. The primary site of humanparagonimiasis is the lung, but hte ectopic infection of lung fluke has been reported by many authors. Weexperienced one case of abdominal paragonimiasis in a 44 year old male with a complaint of left lowerquadrantpain. Physical examination, barium enema, and other data suggested the possibility of tumor originating from thewall of descending colon. (intramural tumor). Postoperative specimen taken from the solid tumorous lesion showedparasitic granuloma, characteristic of Paragonimus Westermani. Here, we report a case of very peculiar ectopicparagonimaisis involved descending colon wall simulating neoplastic tumor, and also review the literaturesbriefly.
Barium ; Colon ; Colon, Descending ; Enema ; Far East ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Mesocolon ; Paragonimiasis ; Paragonimus westermani ; Physical Examination ; Trematoda

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the important factors affecting survival and pregnancy rate in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. METHODS: we performed reprospective analysis in 738 cycles of frozen-thawed embryo transfers, in relation to the insemination methods, the freezing stage of embryo, patient's age, infertility factors and the origin of injected sperm in ICSI cycles. After conventional IVF or ICSI, the supernumerary PN stage zygotes or multicellular embryos were cryopreserved by slow freezing protocol with 1,2-propandiol (PROH) as a cryoprotectant. RESULTS: The survival rates of thawed embryos were 69.3% (1585/2287) in conventional IVF group and 71.7&% (1645/2295) in ICSI group. After frozen-thawed embryo transfers, 27.0% (92/341) and 32.0% (109/341) of pregnancy rates were achieved in conventional IVF and ICSI group, respectively. There were no significant difference in the survival and pregnancy rates according to the insemination methods, the freezing stage and patient's age. However, the pregnancy rate (36.2%) of male factor infertility (22.9%). In ICSI group, the origin of injected sperm did not affect the outcome of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that acceptable clinical outcomes can be achieved after the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos regardless of the stage of embryos for freezing, the patient's age and the origin of injected sperm.
Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Freezing ; Humans ; Infertility ; Insemination ; Male ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Spermatozoa ; Survival Rate ; Zygote

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the health behaviors by a risk level of metabolic syndrome (MS) among petty merchants in traditional markets. METHODS: The data were collected through questionnaires and physical examination on abdominal circumstance, triglyceride, HDL, blood pressure, and FBS of 177 subjects in S city, Korea. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi2-test (or fisher's exact test) and ANOVA using SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. RESULTS: The prevalence of MS was 15.8%, and risk group was 72.9%. The abdominal circumstance and triglyceride levels were higher in MS group than those of the risk group and normal group. The HDL and systolic blood pressure levels were also higher in MS group than those of the normal group. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MS and risk groups was high among petty merchants in traditional markets. However, these merchants did not practice health behaviors nor take institutional health management benefit. Therefore, governmental level community based health management services are requested for them.
Blood Pressure ; Health Behavior ; Korea ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum is a rare benign neoplasm that occurs predominantly in young to middle-aged women and tends to recur locally. Pelvic viscera is the most common predilection site of cystic mesothelioma. Authors report a case of multicystic mesothelioma of the pelvic pelvic peritoneum. The pelvic ultrasonography showed a large, confluent, and thin-walled multilocular cystic mass occupying the pelvic cavity and lower abdomen. The cystic mass was flattened and elongated. Each cyst of variable size was separated by thin septa and filled with translucent fluid. Cystic mesothelioma should be included in the differential diagnosis of the cystic peritoneal masses, especially in reproductive-aged women.
Abdomen ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Mesothelioma* ; Mesothelioma, Cystic ; Peritoneum* ; Ultrasonography ; Viscera